View report page

10
decreases, Battersea shows the lowest, viz., 0·7 per cent, and
Holbom and the City of London the highest, viz., 16.9 and 27·0
per cent., respectively.
Outside the Administrative County of London the group of sub"
urban towns and districts, viz. (the "outer ring"), all with the exception
of the urban district of Penge (-0·6) show an increase. The
rate of increase during the last intercensal period was less than during
the four preceding decennia; it was, however, numerically
greater than in any previous period, representing an addition of
684,867 persons.
In London the population of the Administrative County was
4,522,961, a decrease of 13,306, as compared with 1901. The
population of Greater London (Outer and Inner Rings) was
7,252,963, showing an increase of well over half a million persons
since the previous census.
The same tendency towards decentralisation of the population
is observable from the Census Returns in most of the great towns.
One result of the publication of the Census Returns is that,
with regard to our death-rates, these are shown to have been
seriously understated during recent years, and that while we have
been congratulating ourselves upon the results of increased public
health administrative activity, we have been somewhat too
optimistic. This fact strongly emphasises the need for a Quinquennial
Census in the interest of more accurate statistical returns.
Population.
In 1901 the population of the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea
(created in November, 1900, under the provisions of the London
Government Act, 1899, and formed from the old Parish of Battersea
after some rearrangement between the two districts of Wandsworth
and Battersea to define the boundary fine), was 168,907. By the
recent Census of 1911 the population of the Borough was shown to
have decreased during the decennium to the extent of 1,164 (—0·7
per cent.). In this report the rates are based on the estimated
population for the middle of the year 1911, viz., 167,765.
In previous Annual Reports I pointed out that the population of
the Borough as estimated by the Registrar-General, was probably
over stated. His method of calculation is based upon the assumption
that the rate of increase in the population during the last intercensal
period was maintained during the subsequent years.
The estimated population for each of the sub-districts is as
follows:—
East Battersea 69,760
North-West Battersea 49,143
South-West Battersea 48,862